I’m sorry, what?

Listening. It seems like a relatively simple concept, but in this busy world of hustle and bustle, of I-need-the-answer-now mentality, the importance of listening is something that perhaps we’ve let slip by the wayside —both personally and professionally.

The world is constantly changing—I get it. People are busier than ever. Today, we are exposed to new images, new ideas, new products, new words, new software, new, new, new…it's overwhelming trying to keep up. I once saw a stat that a week's worth of the New York Times contains more information than a person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18th century . That's a lot of information. No wonder we retain as little as 25-50% of what we hear in any given conversation. So I still find it surprising, and somewhat shameful, that when having a conversation with a colleague or a friend, they're genuinely surprised when I remember something they told me a few days ago, let alone a week or month ago. I believe in active listening, and practice it by focusing on a few simple things:

• Repeat the words in a conversation mentally as a person says it
• Make eye contact—there's nothing more insulting than someone who is constantly distracted when you're talking
• Use positive body language to acknowledge you are listening. Something as simple as a head nod, smile or "mmhmm"
• Encourage two-way conversation by asking questions, requesting clarification, or summarizing comments
• Don't interrupt—and especially don't interrupt half-way though someone's sentence with "Yeah, yeah, yeah" like you know what they're going to say
• Relate your comments to something the other person has said during the conversation
• Remember what you've been taught since you were born…treat others as you want to be treated

Listening is not just the polite thing to do. It has tremendous benefits both professionally and personally:

• You learn new things: a leader in any organization can learn a lot by simply listening to their employees' biggest frustrations or challenges.
• You are equipped to make better decisions: a brainstorming session is much more effective when everyone's thoughts are discussed openly.
• You are more efficient: you retain more information through active listening and can use this knowledge to make future decisions quickly and with confidence
• You earn respect and trust: people feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas with others who listen and are genuinely interested.

"I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening." — Larry King